This invention relates generally to gas cooking appliances and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for controlling gas supply in a cooking appliance.
Gas-fired stoves, ovens, and ranges typically include one or more gas heating elements, such as surface burner elements, coupled to a main gas line for providing fuel to the heating elements. In a domestic range, a gas line is connected to a distribution manifold within the appliance to direct gas to a plurality of surface burner elements on a cooktop or to cooking elements within an oven cavity. Operation of the surface burner elements and/or cooking elements is typically accomplished with control knobs mounted on either a front or back wall of the appliance. When a control knob is actuated, fuel is supplied to an associated heating element and an ignition module creates a spark to ignite the gas and produce a flame.
Potentially undesirable conditions may result if a control knob is unknowingly or unwittingly turned to light the corresponding burner or, alternatively, to allow gas to flow through the burner without igniting. To address these concerns, some conventional gas cooking appliances include a lockout valve to prevent gas flow to the burners when actuated (sometimes referred to as a lockout condition), and thus the appliance can be rendered inoperable as desired. However, at least some known cooking appliances operate the lockout valve without regard to the status of the burner control knobs. As such, gas that has not been lit may be unintentionally introduced into the room when the lockout valve is de-actuated without regard to whether one or more burner control knobs are actuated.